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Monday, May 7, 2012

Ann Cleeves's Red Bones to be adapted by BBC

Ann Cleeves shared the news yesterday that BBC 1 has commissioned a 2 part adaptation from her Shetland novel RED BONES. The show stars Douglas Henshall and is directed by Peter Hoare who worked on Vera. Filming will be based in Shetland and the Scottish mainland. Love this series, and I
can't wait for the show to wend its way to the U.S.

Congratulations, Ann!

From Ann's website:

Scots actor Douglas Henshall has been cast as the lead role in Shetland,
a new two-part drama set in Scotland for BBC One, produced by ITV
Studios through BBC Scotland, and written by David Kane, adapted from
Ann Cleeves's books featuring Detective Jimmy Perez.

Like the books, the powerful murder-mystery is set against the
stunning Scottish backdrop of the Shetland Isles and centres on
Detective Jimmy Perez (played by Henshall - The Kidnap Diaries, The Silence),
but there are differences, too. Perez is recently widowed, a native
Shetlander who has returned home after a long spell away. His bone-dry
sense of humour and an idealistic desire to protect his beloved Shetland
Isles from inevitable change make him a fascinating detective to watch
at work.

When a young archaeologist discovers a set of human remains, the
island community is intrigued to know if it's an ancient find or a
contemporary mystery. And when an elderly woman is shot on her land in a
tragic accident, Perez and his team find themselves at the centre of
two feuding families whose envy, greed and bitterness has divided the
surrounding community.

The Executive Producer is Elaine Collins, of ITV Studios, the team who brought Ann's Vera Stanhope to television. She says: "We are delighted to be working with the BBC on this commission. Shetland
combines eccentric yet warm characters and a classic murder mystery
story with the beautiful landscape and rich history of the Shetland
Islands and we believe it will be hugely popular with viewers."

Christopher Aird, Head of Drama, Scotland and Executive Producer, BBC adds: "Shetland
has a fantastic combination of writing, acting, directing and producing
talent. It is a hugely exciting story and part of a project to bring
the very best drama to BBC Scotland in the coming years."
Ann Cleeves says: " I'm delighted that my old friends from ITV
Studios have teamed up with the BBC to create a television adaptation of
the Jimmy Perez book Red Bones. I couldn't be in safer hands. And it's brilliant that the UK now has its own Nordic TV drama!"

Fans of Ann's Shetland Quartet will know that Red Bones is the third book in the quartet; new readers are recommended to start at the beginning, with Raven Black, the award-winning first book.

This is very good news. I'm a great fan of Jimmy Perez and of course of you, Ann.Shetland is a very special place. I'm been there many times, from Sumburgh to Saxa Vord. Looking forward to get to know Whalsay.